Following success with a military-styled chronograph based on the Type 20 pilot watches from the 1950s, microbrand Hemel has introduced a new “Night Ops” version of its HFT20 with a darker aesthetic in a black ion-plated case. The color is not the only thing tweaked for the Hemel HFT20 Night Ops, however, as the case has also been slimmed down to a more comfortable 13mm thick.
At 42mm wide in steel and water-resistant to 100m, the Night Ops chronograph features sapphire crystal, and there are two options for the rotating bezel: a timing bezel with markings of 1-60 in ceramic, or a 12-hour bezel in steel with 1-12 markings for tracking a second time zone. Both the black dials and bezels will glow with Super-LumiNova for visibility during nighttime use.
Hemel’s HFT20 watches are powered by the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement. This is a quartz movement that has certain features to make it feel more like a mechanical movement when operating the chronograph — and it has a sweeping seconds hand like those typically found on mechanical watches. The Hemel HFT20 Night Ops watch has a price of $450, and a percentage of each sale is donated to a non-profit organization benefitting military veterans and their families.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Dan Henry 1964 Gran Turismo Chronograph ($250)
Unimatic Modello Tre Chronograph (~$595+)
Farer Quartz Split-Second Flyback Chronograph (~$700)
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